- Hello, my name is Liam.
I'm a Kamilaroi artist,
and I work at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
as an Indigenous Programmes Assistant.
I'd like to welcome you to the first of three videos,
where we will look at the work
of Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi artist, Michael Riley.
These videos are part of the programme "Home:
Aboriginal art from New South Wales".
Michael Riley was born
in his father's Wiradjuri country in 1960.
He grew up on the Talbragar Aboriginal Reserve,
on the outskirts of Dubbo in New South Wales.
Michael loved taking photos and as a teenager,
he bought a cheap Kodak camera
and a home photo developing kit
and pursued his passion for photography.
After moving to Sydney, Michael enrolled
in a photography course at Sydney College of the Arts
at Sydney University.
From here on he began his career
as an artist using the processes of photography and film.
He was included in the historic NADOC '86 exhibition
of Aboriginal and Islander Photographers.
This was the first exhibition of Indigenous photographers.
It also included other important artists
such as Brenda L Croft and Mervyn Bishop.
Let's have a look at some of their work.
This photograph of Mervyn Bishop
is called, "Girl pours tea, Burnt Bridge."
It was taken in 1988 as part of a project Mervyn worked
on to show Aboriginal people
and communities in Australia, in the year of the Bicentenary
This photograph by Brenda L Croft is called, "Mary Mumbulla
and Murri Craigie."
It shows Brenda's friend, Mary with her child.
This is one of Michael Riley's
early photographic works from 1985 and is titled, "Maria."
Here Maria, Michael's cousin, looks directly at the camera.
This photo was important
as it showed Maria an Aboriginal woman as dignified
and strong, looking calmly and comfortably at the camera.
In the past, Aboriginal people were often photographed
by non Aboriginal people
as a way of collecting information and keeping control.
Maybe in this case, it was because Maria knew Michael well
that she looks so comfortable.
For Michael it was important to use photography
as a way of showing the sophistication
and beauty of people in his community,
and to give people an opportunity to express themselves
in the way that they chose.
How do you feel when you are photographed
by someone you know well?
Is it different when a stranger takes a photo of you?
Most of Michael Riley's photographic artworks
were made using film or analogue photography.
Have you ever used analogue photography to make an artwork?
Analogue photography is made using an analogue camera
and film, a roll of black
and white or colour film is loaded into the camera.
When you take a photograph, light interacts
with the chemicals in the film, and an image is recorded.
You can't see the images until the film has been processed
in chemicals, then printed onto paper.
That's probably very different
to how you're used to taking photographs.
Today you can take lots of photographs on a digital camera
or smartphone, select the images you like best
and then delete the rest.
Throughout Michael's career,
family and friends and community and country
were very important sources of inspiration for his artwork.
He would make annual trips
between Dubbo in his father's Wiradjuri country
and Murray in his mother's Kamilaroi country
visiting his family and community in each place.
Here is one of Michael's photos inspired
by his close family and friends in Moree.
It's called, "Nanny Wright and Dog,"
from the series, A common place: Portraits
of Moree Murries.
Let's take a close look at the photograph.
How would you describe Nanny Wright's pose?
Does she seem comfortable? nervous?
relaxed? What makes you think this?
Let's take a closer look at the details.
Is the image black and white or colour?
Are the details clear? or do they look a little bit grainy?
Why do you think this is?
It looks a little bit grainy because chemicals
in different types of film create different effects
in the image.
Here, you can see that Michael has used different
film to create a different photographic effect.
This work is inspired
by Michael's passion for Community and Country.
It's called, "Untitled" and is from the series "Flyblown".
It's very different to the last work
don't you think?
What differences do you notice in this work?
Is it black and white or colour?
Can you see the details in the feathers and the dirt?
Why do you think Michael has decided
to use colour film instead of black and white in this case?
Why do you think Michael has decided not
to photograph people
instead choosing to photograph the dead galah
against dry dirt.
Symbols play an important part in this work
they allow Michael to talk about the relationship
between his Aboriginal identity and Catholic upbringing.
A symbol is a thing
or object that represents or stands for something else.
For example, look at this photograph also called, "Untitled"
and also from the series "Flyblown".
Do you know the symbol that Michael has used here?
Can you think of any symbols that could represent you
or your family and friends?
Would you like to have a go
at creating your own photographs using personal symbols?
so that you're prepared, start collecting
objects that symbolise you or your family
or your friends.
Next we'll look more closely
at the series called "Flyblown", to see
how Michael Riley has used symbols to tell these stories.
I'll see you then.